‘Alt’ NPS campaign spreads to federal Maine properties

What started as a few (but now-deleted) tweets from the official Twitter account of Badlands National Park has turned into a nationwide online campaign that has spread into eastern and northern Maine.

Scores of “alt” — or alternative — social media accounts pegged to various federal agencies have been multiplying over the past several days in opposition to President Trump’s environmental policies and restrictions he has placed on the disclosure of governmental scientific information.

There have been claims that such accounts like Rogue NASA on Twitter or Alt National Park Service on Facebook were created by federal officials unhappy with Trump’s orders, but it has not been clear who is behind the creation of many of the opposition accounts.

However, information on the the Alt Acadia Facebook page says “We are not park employees, only supporters.” The Alt Acadia Twitter profile describes itself as the “unofficial unsanctioned” account of Acadia.

A message to Trump posted on a website for altnps.org says “You can shut down the use of our social media accounts, but you cannot shut down the internet or take control of what we do with our personal time! We only wish to protect and preserve the environment for future generations to come.”

The names of Arches, Shenandoah, Yosemite, Badlands, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Blue Ridge Parkway, Everglades, and Great Smoky Mountains national park are listed as signatories to the message.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Alt Acadia page on Facebook had more than 9,300 likes while the corresponding Twitter account had more than 1,000 followers. The Alt Katahdin Woods & Waters page on Facebook page had nearly 700 likes.

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About Bill Trotter

A news reporter in coastal Maine for 20 years, Bill Trotter writes about how the Atlantic Ocean and the state's iconic coastline help to shape the lives of coastal Maine residents and visitors. He writes about fisheries, marine-related topics, eastern coastal Maine communities and more for the BDN. He lives in Ellsworth. Follow him on Twitter at @billtrotter.

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Bill Trotter

A news reporter in coastal Maine for 20 years, Bill Trotter writes about how the Atlantic Ocean and the state's iconic coastline help to shape the lives of coastal Maine residents and visitors. He writes about fisheries, marine-related topics, eastern coastal Maine communities and more for the BDN. He lives in Ellsworth. Follow him on Twitter at @billtrotter.